Sugar maple

ABSTRACT

A sugar maple of columnar form and exceedingly fast growth. The leaves have a less leathery appearance than other known columnar sugar maple trees which gives the tree an overall distinctive cleaner and healthier appearance. The leaves are less subject to scorching which adds to the healthy appearance of the tree particularly late in the season before the leaves change to their bright yellow coloration in the fall.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of sugarmaple tree known technically as Acer saccharum. I discovered my newvariety as a seedling mutation of unknown parentage among a group ofnursery plants of the Acer saccharum variety which were being grown in acultivated area in a nursery in Dayton, Ohio.

My new variety of tree was asexually reproduced by budding in Dayton,Ohio. The new variety is characterized particularly by its distinctivecolumnar form, rapid growth rate, greater foliage for trunk size andless leathery in appearance of the leaves. In addition, the tree appearshardier than the species and exhibits less scorching late in the seasonto present a cleaner and healthier appearance than other known columnarsugar maples. The first seedling mutation resulting in the tree of thepresent invention is approximately twenty-six years old and is about 40feet high and has the same spread from breast height to near the top ofthe tree. Younger trees of the present invention, for example, 4 yearold trees, show over 20 percent more growth in height than other knowncolumnar sugar maples of the same age, and exhibit their columnar formeven at this early age.

A detailed comparison was made in applicant's nursery in Dayton, Ohiobetween the tree of the present invention and two other varieties whichare commonly referred to in the trade as the Monumentaly Sentry and theGoldspire. The comparison clearly illustrated the distinctive appearanceof the tree of the present invention over these two varieties in that itbasically has the less leathery appearance of the leaves and healthierand cleaner look in the late fall due to less scorching of the leaves,as referred to above. The tree of the present invention also exhibitswhat could be called a smoother overall complexion than these other twovarieties. The vigorous growth rate, mentioned above, was also evidentfrom a comparison of the tree of the present invention with theMonumentaly Sentry and the Goldspire. For example, in comparison of fouryear old trees the tree of the present invention showed a height of 13feet with the trunk diameter of 21/8 inches, while the Goldspire wasonly 10 feet 6 inches high with a 21/4 inch diameter trunk. TheMonumentaly Sentry is a much slower growing tree than the other two andat eight years was approximately the same height as the four year oldGoldspire.

The tree exhibits some otherwise conventional and desirablecharacteristics of the species trees in that it maintains a green colorthroughout the summer turning to a brilliant yellow in autumn. Inaddition, this particular variety of the present invention has neverexhibited any evidence of verticillium wilt which is a common problem inthe area where the trees were grown nor has it exhibited any othercommon sugar maple maladies in its development history of approximatelytwenty-six years.

FIG. 1 is a color photograph of the tree of the present invention takenin the early summer of the year and showing the distinctive columnarappearance;

FIG. 2 is a color photograph of a branch of a tree of the presentinvention taken at the same time;

FIG. 3 is a color photograph of the tree of the present invention takenin the autumn to show the bright yellow coloration typical of thespecies; and

FIG. 4 is a black and white photograph of a defoliated tree of thepresent invention illustrating the columnar form of the branchingstructure.

The distinctive columnar shape referred to above and which isillustrated in FIG. 1, is maintained from a liner or young tree, throughmaturity. All of the budded reproduction from the initial seedling ofthis variety have maintained this columnar form.

The following is a detailed description of my new variety of Acersaccharum, with color terminology in accordance with the "RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart", published by The RoyalHorticultural Society of London. It is pointed out, however, that thecoloration of leaves as indicated below are only approximate because thecolor variation is considerable as the leaves age during a season. Inaddition, the size of the leaves vary from tree to tree and in the sametree and depend to some extent on the weather during the growing season.

Parentage: A seedling mutation of unknown parentage.

Propagation: Holds to distinguishing characteristics through succeedingpropagation by budding.

Locality where grown and observed: Dayton, Ohio.

Tree: Upright, columnar and healthy; vigorous growth rate observed to beover 20 percent greater than other known columnar sugar maples; branchesturn upward and are fairly symmetrical about the trunk producing auniform columnar appearance; the head is broader than other knowncolumnar sugar maples thus maintaining the columnar appearances at thetop as well; bark is smooth as is common of the species.

Foliage: Leaves are 3 to 5 inches wide across the widest pointsperpendicular to the petiole and are lobed cordate, 3 to 6 inches longfrom the base of the vanes at the petiole to the tip; the petiole isgenerally longer and more delicate than other known columnar sugarmaples and range in length generally 51/2 to 71/2 inches; the leaves areless leathery in appearance than the species, giving the tree an overallclearly distinctive appearance from other columnar sugar maples; theleaves have narrow and deep sinuses, lobes are acuminate and sparinglydentate; usually glaucous on top and glabrous beneath; no seeding hasbeen observed.

Color: Scheels green 860/1 through the summer and turning in autumn toyellow ochre 07/1 with slight blends of Indian orange 713/1.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of Acer saccharum substantiallyas herein shown and described, characterized particularly by itscolumnar shape vigorous growth faster than other known columnar sugarmaples, less leathery appearance of the leaves and cleaner and healthierappearance late in the season due to less scorching of the leaves.